Sony Xperia Z and ZL to receive Android 4.2 “shortly after launch”

Here we go again. Because the Xperia Z and ZL are launching in Q1 with Android 4.1, the company has gone on the offensive, promising an update to OS 4.2 Jelly Bean “shortly after launch.”

While it’s great that Sony is promising quick action on the update front, especially since if they do follow through with it in good time it will be one of the first non-Nexus devices to run Google’s newest OS, we’re left wondering whether the whole thing is lip service to a very small group of users and journalists.

When the Xperia T was released in November, Sony promised a quick update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It’s been nearly two months since that time and we’re still using Android 4.0.4 on the admittedly great device. While it could be a carrier hold up — Rogers has pushed back the launch of Jelly Bean until mid-February — it’s always a little frustrating to hear promises that may not be kept. We’ve already seen a beta version of Jelly Bean for the Xperia T, and Android 4.2 isn’t quite the jump that 4.1 was from 4.0, so we’re remaining hopeful in this particular situation.

Regardless of software version, though, we’re excited to test the Xperia ZL when it arrives in the next couple of months.

If the upgrade was to come “soon”, “Very soon” or “shortly after launch” why not wait and then release the phone then??

-2 months later they tell you to wait 2 months more, then they tell you is not the OEM, its the operator etc etc.

-IF, IF I wanted a Sony phone I would simply wait for the phone to have the promised software AND THEN BUY the phone.

Samsung knows it: leave the phones unlocked, a lot of people buy their phones, which get a lot of custom-ROM support, and that in turn imcreases the sales etc. Just look at the Samsung Galaxy S2 still going strong! a TWO YEAR olde phone running more recent software than the Newest Sony’s phone?? Not to mention the re-selling value of the S2: at over $200, it almost compares to the iphone.

Any Sony or LG phone released with 4.1 or ICS wont sell well.

Gman

ah..reading on XDA dev, don’t seems to be the case, they rated xperia phones the best, and sony even released an official flasher that let you flash with custom rom and back to official. And XDA dev ported everything on it rather quickly. Samsung doesn’t get it either, the JB update for the S3 is as slow as most other phones, almost 6 months gap from the official google release like every other companies, if you are on wind or mobilicity, its even more fustrating(S3 owner myself). And wasn’t there talk of Samsung locking down all their future exynos devices too so the xda dev are dropping their support. If you want quick update your only option is nexus or rely on XDA dev.

Blas

“If the upgrade was to come “soon”, “Very soon” or “shortly after launch” why not wait and then release the phone then??” this has to be one of the less well thought out arguments I’ve seen floating around. Would you really expect them to delay a flagship launch for something most consumers doesn’t care about?

seroevo

Waiting doesn’t make any sense. If you want or need a phone now, why would you use your older phone for an extra couple months just because a Sony phone doesn’t have the latest version of Android? It’d make more sense to get the phone you want now and be using it in the meantime.

Especially since, if you haven’t used the newer/newest version of Android, or not with that phone, you’re not going to miss anything anyway.

For example, the biggest reason for me to want 4.1/4.2 is performance improvements. But having never used that with my phone, how would I know the difference in advance? It’s only really a problem if you’re going backwards, where you’ve used an Xperia T with 4.2 but were then forced to go back to 4.0.4 when you purchased it.

And if you already have a phone with 4.1 or 4.2, it means your phone is less than a year old. Why do you need a new phone already? Those that need to upgrade their phone annually are in the overwhelming minority.

Ron Mexico

Because as we have all come to know with all of the vendors, their promises of updates don’t really mean anything until they deliver. We’ve all been burned buying a phone because the promised it would be updated quickly only to have it delayed again and again and finally canceled.

Don’t buy unless you need it immediately and can live with the likely event that the update never happens.

Gman

on top of that, most ppl don’t realize a lot of new features in 4.2 were already in xperia phones for a long time, like the 360 camera and multi accounts.

Phil R

That’s why I still proudly own an xperia pro (and the x10, even on android 2.3.3, its still avec very funtionnal phone, not powerful, but has a lot of cool funcitonnality that other company dont).

I’m still drooling over the xperia s, though. It might be 1 year old (more or less) but it’s the most beautiful phone I’ve seen so far.

Miknitro

By time this hits N/A, it’ll be spring an it won’t have JB till what summer, mid summer?

Lip service an really is going to be a pimple on its launch.

Tomatoes11

They said the same thing about the Xperia S but that took like a year.

screamer

But when they gonna release to phone? Shouldn’t wait any longer because when Samsung or htc announce there new phones the xperia is old and not even out. Same will happened with rim! We’ve seen it on the iPhone!

Ron Mexico

So it can be expected anytime around Christmas 2014?

Mr. Reliable

«Here we go again.» Hehe. The POWER of android.

cdub

Yah sure.. update quickly my a*s.. after sony drags their feet then the carriers ruin it with their crappy bloatware after 6 months of dum de dum. one update then they will drop ever updating it again..

i call BS.. unlocked phones or go home..

tired of getting raked over the coals by carriers.. here sign this 3 year contract. but after 1 year we wont support your phone any longer SUCKERS!! carrier rubs hands together greedily… muhaha..

gurnblansten

LOL use of “Believe” and Sony is same sentence a farce. Ion was “soon” and took over 3 months to get from 3.x to 4.0 on a phone shipped later than s3 (Shipped with 4.0)! The T at least had 4.0 but still waiting in 2013 to update to 4.1 is comical. Sony should not even ship a phone they are trying to recoup non-existent market share with running anything but 4.2 Would not waste my money on Sony products again – always seem promising but fail in implementation and use. Samsung, HTC and Motorola will ship new phones later in the year and they will be superior.

Blas

No phones ever shipped with Android 3.x as that was a tablet only firmware.

Haythem

It is true that Sony has always released phones with extremely outdated versions of Android. In this case, however, the difference between 4.1 and 4.2 is very very minimal specially compared to the difference between 4.0 and 4.1. I currely have 4.1 on my S3 (Stock) and I really can’t see what all the fuss is about 4.2.

I would cut Sony some slack here. They are the only company that, other than Samsung, is trying hard to make a proper Android smartphone. IMO they -almost- got it right, if it had a removable battery as well then it would have been a winner.

Still, if I didn’t have an S3 I would have probably picked up the ZL instead but I was fed up with LG’s awful software quality and I desperately needed a phone to replace the terrible Optimus 2X that I had.

Duncan

Not everybody wants a removable battery. I would way rather have a phone that feels rock solid than one with a removable battery. For the battery to be removable normally means a flimsy sliding plastic piece that is a deal breaker on a phone for me.

Haythem

Yes I know, hence why I also wrote that I would have probably bought it over the S3. The only reason why I needed a removable battery is because when I had my lousy Optimus 2X, I’d remove it to restart the phone after it freezes and refuses to respond. Most non LG/Motorola phones are reliable nowadays so if the battery capacity is big enough, I don’t see the need to have it removable.

Anyway, I’m liking the Sony ZL.

Richard

Former SE X10 owner that will NEVER trust the word of Sony and their promised update schedule :p